Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk: Nutrition & Labelgrade B (77/100)
Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk scores a Labelgrade of B (77/100). A clean, low-calorie dairy-milk substitute with zero sugar and zero saturated fat — exactly what most people want from unsweetened almond milk. The grade is held in the B range, not higher, because almond milk is barely a protein source (roughly 2g per cup) and the per-100g protein density is among the lowest of any food we grade. Judge it as a low-calorie beverage, not a protein play.
Per 1 cup (240 ml): 84 cal · 2.4g protein · 0g sugar · 384mg sodium · 2.4g fiber.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk delivers about 2.4 g of protein for 84 calories in a 1-cup (240 ml) serving — roughly 1 g of protein per 100 ml, which is about as little protein as a food can have and still be graded here. The label is clean: zero sugar, zero saturated fat, eight recognizable ingredients. It earns a B (77/100). On a protein site, that B is the honest paradox of almond milk — almost everything it doesn’t contain scores well, and the one thing a protein shopper wants, it doesn’t have.
Read it as a beverage, not a protein
The single most useful fact about this carton is what it is for. Almonds are 21 g protein per 100 g of nut — respectable. But almond milk is mostly water with a small amount of almond suspended in it, so by the time you pour a cup, the protein has been diluted to a rounding error. That 2.4 g is the entire protein payload, and no amount of “made with real almonds” marketing changes the dilution.
So the job this product is genuinely good at is texture and calorie-cutting: a light, sugar-free, dairy-free pour for cereal, coffee, and smoothies. Swap it for 2% dairy and you drop from 122 calories and 12 g of sugar per cup to 84 calories and zero sugar — a real win, just not a protein one. Treat the protein as incidental and the calorie-and-sugar savings as the point, and the B grade makes complete sense.
The richer-almond trade-off
This is not the thinnest almond milk on the shelf, and that is deliberate. At 84 calories and 7.2 g of fat per cup, it runs roughly double the calories of ultra-light 30-40 calorie almond milks. The extra comes entirely from more almond — which means more of the almond’s heart-healthy unsaturated fat (still 0 g saturated) and a creamier mouthfeel that holds up better in coffee than the watery budget versions. If you’ve found other unsweetened almond milks too thin, this is why this one tastes fuller; the cost is a handful of calories, never sugar.
Why the B
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | D | 52 / 100 | ~1 g per 100 ml (2.4 g/cup) — almond milk is water and almond fat, with little protein to dilute in the first place |
| Ingredient quality | B | 78 / 100 | Eight clean ingredients: almondmilk, calcium carbonate, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, natural flavors, two gums, potassium citrate — tidy for a shelf-stable plant milk |
| Saturated fat | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g — the 7.2 g of total fat is essentially all unsaturated, straight from the almonds |
| Sugar | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g — the entire reason to buy the unsweetened version |
| Sodium | B+ | 84 / 100 | 384 mg/cup is high for a plant milk, but the per-100 ml load is modest; added sea salt and mineral salts drive it |
| Fiber | F | 37 / 100 | 2.4 g/cup from almonds and added gums — more than dairy’s zero, but not a fiber source |
The B is held there mainly by one number: protein. Four of the six dimensions are strong-to-perfect, so a clean unsweetened almond milk can’t help but score well on a label-quality basis. But protein density is a D — with fiber’s F close behind — and on a protein-first scoring system that weak protein axis is what keeps an otherwise clean beverage out of A-territory. The grade isn’t a knock on the product — it’s an honest signal that you’re buying a milk swap, not a protein.
For protein, you’re in the wrong aisle
If protein is actually the goal, the plant-milk shelf still has answers — almond just isn’t one of them:
| Plant milk | Protein/cup | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Califia Unsweetened Almond (this) | 2.4 g | 84 | 0 g |
| Unsweetened Soy (Silk) | 7 g | 80 | 1 g |
| Pea-Protein (Ripple Original) | 8 g | 100 | 6 g |
| Oat (Oatly Original) | 3 g | 120 | 7 g |
Soy and pea milks deliver three times the protein at comparable calories — that’s the swap if you want plant milk to pull nutritional weight. And steer clear of the sweetened almond products if you’re here for nutrition: Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze Chocolate almond milk carries the same ~1 g of protein but adds 19 g of sugar and lands a C+ (67/100). The unsweetened carton on this page is the version worth keeping in the fridge; the protein just isn’t its contribution.
Ingredients
Almondmilk (water, almonds), calcium carbonate, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, natural flavors, locust bean gum, gellan gum, potassium citrate.
Two structural notes: the calcium carbonate is added (almonds bring little), so this is fortified rather than naturally calcium-rich; and the locust bean and gellan gums are doing the texture work — they’re what make this carton creamier than the thinner almond milks. Califia’s organic line drops the gums for a three-ingredient panel (water, almonds, sea salt) if you want the shortest possible label. (Ingredients verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2757613.)
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 cup (240 ml)
00813636021659See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 cup (240 ml)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 84 |
| Protein | 2.4g |
| Total Fat | 7.2g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 2.4g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.4g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 384mg |
Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk ingredients
Almondmilk (water, almonds), calcium carbonate, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, natural flavors, locust bean gum, gellan gum, potassium citrate.
Ingredients as printed on the label. Labelgrade rates this list B (78/100) for ingredient quality — shorter lists with fewer additives, fillers, and sweeteners score higher. How we score ingredients.
Scope: This page applies specifically to Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk (48 fl oz (1.4 L) carton) · UPC 00813636021659. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk?
About 2.4 g per 1-cup (240 ml) serving (USDA FDC 2757613) — roughly 1 g per 100 ml. That is very low. Almonds are mostly fat, and almond milk is mostly water with a small fraction of almond, so almost none of the protein you associate with nuts survives the dilution. A cup of dairy milk carries about 8 g and soy milk about 7 g — three times as much for similar calories.
Is almond milk a good protein source?
No, and it isn't built to be. Unsweetened almond milk is a low-calorie liquid for cereal, coffee, and smoothies — light, sugar-free, dairy-free, faintly nutty. If you want a plant milk that actually delivers protein, soy or pea-protein milk carry 7-8 g per cup; almond milk gives you the pour without the protein.
Why is this richer than a 30-calorie almond milk?
At 84 calories and 7.2 g fat per cup, this carton runs roughly double the calories of thin 30-40 calorie almond milks like Almond Breeze. The difference is almond content — more almond means more of its (entirely unsaturated) fat, a creamier body, and a few more calories. There is still 0 g saturated fat and 0 g sugar; you are paying calories for texture, not for sugar.
Why is the sodium 384 mg if it scores a B+?
384 mg per cup is genuinely high for a plant milk — about 17% of the FDA's 2,300 mg daily limit — driven by the added sea salt plus the potassium citrate and other mineral salts. Labelgrade still scores the sodium dimension a B+ (84) because the load measured per 100 ml is modest. Worth noting if you track sodium tightly; minor for most people in a beverage.
Where does the 2.4 g of fiber come from?
Partly the almonds, partly the locust bean gum and gellan gum that give the milk its body. It is a modest amount — almond milk is not a fiber source — but it is more than dairy milk's flat zero. The unusual quirk here is that the fiber roughly cancels the carbs: 2.4 g carbs minus 2.4 g fiber leaves net carbs near zero.
Is it keto-friendly?
Very. 2.4 g total carbs, 0 g sugar, fiber bringing net carbs to roughly zero, and 7.2 g of fat per cup that fits a high-fat pattern. Unsweetened almond milk is one of the most popular keto dairy swaps for exactly this math.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-28, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2757613. We re-verify high-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days of a confirmed reformulation. Almond milk macros vary by formulation, so always check the carton.